Security Systems News - SSIhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/taxonomy/term/4467
enSurveillance Systems Inc. lands MGM, Wynn contractshttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/surveillance-systems-inc-lands-mgm-wynn-contracts
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<div class="field-item even">Massive gaming projects driving continued record growth rate</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2017-08-30T00:00:00-04:00">08/30/2017</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Paul Ragusa</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>ROCKLIN, Calif.—Surveillance Systems Inc., a commercial integrator based here, recently announced its multi-million dollar contracts with Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International, which are both currently preparing to set up shop in Boston and Springfield, Mass., respectively. The Wynn Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield are both scheduled to open within the next two years.</p>
<p>SSI president Todd Flowers said that SSI is excited to build on the relationship it has formed working with MGM and Wynn over the years. “To be pulled up to the big show once again, especially in such a thriving, competitive industry, is the kind of challenge SSI feeds on,” he said in the announcement. “We look forward to knocking these projects out of the park!”</p>
<p>Flowers told <em>Security Systems News</em> that SSI has built a reputation in the gaming industry over the past few years, one that has helped to put the company in a position to even qualify for these types of contracts.</p>
<p>“There is quite a qualification process that you have to go through to even be invited to the dance,” Flowers told SSN. “These huge projects really catapult the company into another realm when you are looking at over $18 million in revenue between these two projects—those are game changers. So suddenly you start to see these huge increases in growth year over year because now you can add these significant projects to the list.”</p>
<p>He noted that year-to-date SSI is seeing a 97 percent increase in revenue year over year, and he is projecting that the company will finish 2017 at more than 70 percent ahead of 2016.</p>
<p>“We are going to see record growth again this year and these massive projects aren’t even hitting this year, so the bulk of that revenue is going to roll into 2018,” he said. “Based on the award of the Wynn and MGM projects, we expect to maintain the 70 percent growth momentum throughout 2018.”</p>
<p>Flowers noted that winning projects such as this is largely attributable to SSI’s dedicated team of 75 employees, who are well versed in design, engineering, installation, and customer service. He pointed to two fairly recent hires—Daniel Jackson, director of technical sales, and Greg Stowers, director of engineering—who have a combined 45-plus years in the industry, bringing “pertinent and cutting-edge skillsets that transcend beyond cameras and CCTV knowledge, and well into IoT/digital security issues that are currently on the rise,” he said. “I want to continue to increase our capacity for large projects, and talent acquisition is a big priority for us.”</p>
<p>The key moving forward, Flowers said, is to “keep the momentum going. Our manufacturing partners are key for us, as we try to create the best possible vendor experience, too. We see this as a partnership between us and the manufacturers and the customers.”</p>
<p>He continued, “One thing that is unique about our company, and I consider us a hybrid company, is that we do a lot of product sales. For us, product sales lead to projects and projects lead to ongoing product sales, so we’ve got this hybrid model, which is unlike what you see from more traditional integrators, that is working well.”</p>
<p>Established in 2002, SSI provides surveillance integration expertise in four target markets: casino, government, retail and commercial. The company offers highly technical consultation, system design engineering, project management, and professional implementation to clients ranging from small commercial businesses to enterprise level corporations.</p>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Surveillance Systems Inc. lands MGM, Wynn contracts" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 30 Aug 2017 17:45:09 +0000Paul Ragusa19700 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/surveillance-systems-inc-lands-mgm-wynn-contracts#commentsCyber-insanityhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/blog/cyber-insanity
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Paul Ragusa</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>It has been about a month since I used this space to talk about the rising need for cybersecurity, a topic that is increasingly popping up in conversations within the physical security space.</p>
<p>Just this week, a report on the Cyber Security Market from global research firm MarketsandMarkets shows that the cybersecurity market is estimated to grow from $122.45 billion in 2016 to $202.36 billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 10.6 percent. North America is expected to hold the largest share of the cybersecurity market in 2016 due to the technological advancements and early adoption of cybersecurity in the region, the report found.</p>
<p>The major forces driving the cybersecurity market, the study found, are the rise in security breaches targeting enterprises and need for stringent compliance and regulatory requirements, as well as the growing security needs of Internet of Things (IoT) and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trends and increased deployment of web &amp; cloud-based business applications.</p>
<p>This rise in cybersecurity breaches is the reason why Surveillance Systems Incorporated, a Rocklin, Calif.-based security integration company, recently<a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ssi-launches-new-cybersecurity-division"> launched a new cybersecurity division, SSI Threat Protect. </a></p>
<p>In my conversation with SSI president Todd Flowers, he shared with me an ironic, yet poignant story about an inexpensive drone he had ordered that arrived on day one of the Threat Protect division launch. Flowers said drones are a part of the physical security space he is excited about, and thought it would be cool to use the drones for prizes—“a fun little thing to do for some customers,” he said.</p>
<p>“The first day I launched our new cyber division, this drone shows up, and I plug it in—the interface is super easy and it is on Wi-Fi—but it won’t work,” Flowers explained. “So I get my IT guy over and he pulls up the network and turns off our firewall to see what is going on. Now this thing is just supposed to work internally on Wi-Fi and does not require the Internet, but when he turns off the firewall, this thing starts transmitting packets of data to Japan and Korea. The drone was trying to transmit internal information from our servers, and basically opened up a pipeline of critical information to servers in Japan and China.”</p>
<p>Although this scary situation was remedied immediately, it exemplifies what Flowers said he sees happening within the next five years: “The physical side of what we do and the cyber side of security will converge,” he said.</p>
<p>Are you ready for it?</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Cyber-insanity" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 07 Sep 2016 18:52:02 +0000Paul Ragusa19215 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/blog/cyber-insanity#commentsSSI launches new cybersecurity divisionhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ssi-launches-new-cybersecurity-division
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<div class="field-item even">Company experiencing record growth, landing several multi-million dollar projects</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2016-08-31T00:00:00-04:00">08/31/2016</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Paul Ragusa</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>ROCKLIN, Calif.—Surveillance Systems Incorporated, a security integration company that specializes in system design engineering, project management, and system implementation for physical infrastructure based here, has launched a new cybersecurity division, SSI Threat Protect.</p>
<p>Todd Flowers, president of SSI, said the new division provides service solutions with consultation, management, and remediation for the security of its customers’ networks as it aims to secure the technology infrastructure.</p>
<p>“It has become very obvious in the world we live in today that cyber attacks are becoming extremely commonplace,” Flowers told <em>Security Systems News</em>. “As we become more sophisticated, everything is connected, from your smart phone to the thermostat in your building to the refrigerator—these are all devices that are living on Wi-Fi networks and can be hacked.”</p>
<p>With the launch of SSI Threat Protect, Flowers said that the company now offers services that aim to protect clients’ technology infrastructure as another layer of security to help IOT devices.</p>
<p>“I believe that within the next five years the physical side of what we do and the cyber side of security will converge, and I want to be there when it happens,” said Flowers. “So there is a ramp-up period of just understanding the market. The analytics and the software will exist where the cybersecurity side is not separate from the physical side. I want to be the type of systems integrator that is very IT heavy.”</p>
<p>Threat Protect adds a line of defense against vulnerabilities related to malicious backdoor access, Denial-of-Service attacks (DoS/DDoS), malicious eavesdropping, IP spoofing, data loss, malware, ransomware, etc., by providing 24/7 detection services to inform network managers about breaches and intrusions. Threat Protect prioritizes and responds quickly to assist in threat remediation, and can be added to legacy networks, adding a dual layer of protection to prior technology investments, said Flowers.</p>
<p>The launch of Threat Protect comes at a time when SSI is experiencing record growth, said Flowers. “We grew last year at a record pace—we were just shy of $25 million—and right now for this year we are tracking for about $31 million, so we are going to far exceed our goal, as we did last year,” he said.</p>
<p>One of the ways the company has achieved this growth, Flowers said, is by focusing on one area. “We still sell schools, and hospitals, and we are diverse in our market, but we are really heavy on the casino side, so we decided—let’s be the No. 1 gaming integrator in North America,” he explained. “So we have really narrowed down our focus to gaming and other commercial industrial opportunities that are within Nevada and California. We also just opened an office in Texas with newly hired director of engineering Greg Stowers, who was previously at Honeywell Security Products. And a few months back we launched into Canada.”</p>
<p>Flowers said that this level of focus has allowed the company to streamline processes and “gain a lot of traction,” he said. As a result, SSI has landed some “very significant projects,” he noted, including a $2.1 million job with Cowlitz Casino in Washington, and a $2.2 million project featuring Synectics Synergy software for Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas. “Our ability to handle the very large and complex project—it is in our wheelhouse now,” he added.</p>
<p>SSI is also having great success with its non-profit organization, Allegiant Giving, which supports disabled veterans by raising awareness and funding projects, such as the purchase of ActionTrac chairs—all-terrain wheelchairs that are made for the outdoors.</p>
<p>“We moved into a bigger headquarters last year and we made the building an Allegiant Giving Center, so we really built this building around our non-profit, and focus heavily on giving back,” said Flowers. “Since October, we have donated five of those amazing ActionTrac chairs to veterans and others in need.”</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="SSI launches new cybersecurity division" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 31 Aug 2016 19:22:11 +0000Spencer Ives19204 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ssi-launches-new-cybersecurity-division#commentsTen top integrators talk techhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ten-top-integrators-talk-tech
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<div class="field-item even">Cybersecurity, video analytics and data analytics common, but many other technologies identified</div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Martha Entwistle</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>YARMOUTH, Maine—For the second year in a row, <em>Security Systems News</em> has asked 10 top integrators which technology trends they believe integrators should be paying attention to and why. Again this year, cybersecurity and cloud were among those top trends, but several other technologies were identified including video and data analytics, big data.</p>
<p>Executives from the following companies participated in this report: Extravision Video Technologies, Security Equipment Inc., Integrated Security Systems, Tech Systems, Firstline Security, Pro-Tec Design, SDI, STANLEY Security, SSI and Convergint Technologies.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="156" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/AndreFiset.jpg?itok=uU51GWGE" /><strong>André Fiset</strong></p>
<p><strong>President, Extravision Video Technologies</strong></p>
<p><strong>Montreal</strong></p>
<p>It is very unfortunate to say, but major trends are often the direct results of events that are affecting the world. Last year publicized cyberattacks created a new level of awareness which prompted manufacturers and integrators to react in order to help their customers and their IT groups to work together and adapt a series of technological measures to counteract such risks. This will now continue to be a major trend and system integrators have a part-ownership of this.</p>
<p>We are witnessing an increased requirement to better prepare ourselves against violent and often deadly attacks, and the corporate world is no longer immune to those threats. Law enforcement and the corporate world are facing the same issue: How can we better secure ourselves, our employees, and our citizens? Technology must be part of the equation.</p>
<p>I believe we’ll see two major trends. The first is preventive behavioral detection methodologies that can only be achieved by advanced video analytics. These analytics will come in many flavor, such as facial recognition, suspicious behaviors and even an automatic-threat recognition prompting a lockdown. This is why VMS companies are investing [in these technologies] knowing their VMS will play a much larger role in the coming few years. I believe that VMS will take the forefront over access control systems because they will manage from their much more intuitive interface.</p>
<p>The second trend is the development of PSIM that can link multiple technologies in one unified platform. The role of an efficient PSIM is to collect, analyze, verify, resolve, report and audit, but it also needs to prevent.</p>
<p>Advancements in PSIM developments will require that they more effectively prevent—by initiating actions flagged by the software—and act, whether it be by alerting a monitoring center or by simply isolating the threat until re-enforcement is dispatched.</p>
<p>A proper PSIM must involve all software activities no matter what they are, and interpret the meaning of the activity in a simplified form. A good example of this would be to provoke a lockdown of a facility when a confirmed hostility has occurred in the neighborhood as it is picked-up by the media and law enforcement. Although these activities are not on the corporate network, its proximity may have an impact on a facility, and a lockdown may help protect the people from further harm.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="156" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/TomHruby.jpg?itok=kHjEMLFo" /><strong>Tom Hruby</strong></p>
<p><strong>EVP, Security Equipment Inc.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Omaha, Neb.</strong></p>
<p>I think hosted and managed services are really going to take off in 2016, specifically hosted and managed access and video. With the reduced deployment costs and ongoing administrative labor being practically eliminated, small- and medium-size companies will be looking to take advantage. Throw in the ability to connect from basically anywhere and it's hard to argue against cloud services.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="156" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/JeffNunberg.jpg?itok=jy7FTnh7" /><strong>Jeffrey S. Nunberg</strong></p>
<p><strong>President &amp; CEO, ISS, Integrated Security Systems</strong></p>
<p><strong>Miami</strong></p>
<p>There are two areas that I think will make big gains in 2016. The first is cloud service offerings: Hosted and managed access is poised to break out of the gate especially with offerings from Feenics and BluB0X. The second is video analytics: Between processing horsepower increase in speed, demand for analytics and reduction in cost, this technology will be largely deployed in 2016</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="156" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/WayneSmith.jpg?itok=__Fnd1IV" /><strong>Wayne Smith</strong></p>
<p><strong>President, Tech Systems</strong></p>
<p><strong>Atlanta</strong></p>
<p>An important technology is cybersecurity requirements including settings, features and tools. Safeguarding networked physical security systems from potential hackers and viruses remains a challenge. Our industry hasn’t fully embraced its level of responsibility in this area. Entities like PSA Security Network are beginning to identify where the vulnerabilities lie and how to effectively mitigate these risks. I expect manufacturers to establish a more structured cybersecurity program within their product lines. The evolution of cyberrisks warrant significant investment and I anticipate that manufacturers will be releasing new features and training to support a cyberaware and secure environment.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="156" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/SteveMorefield.jpg?itok=ayZu0Fic" /><strong>Steve Morefield</strong></p>
<p><strong>CEO/founder, Firstline Security</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anaheim</strong></p>
<p>Facial recognition is becoming a more recognized alternative to biometric readers. This technology is not subject to issues with dry skin, cuts, or aging of the user, and it is providing a higher degree of accuracy. While facial recognition is a more costly option today, I expect this to change in the near future.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="176" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/TimFerrian.jpg?itok=S3gAANMh" /><strong>Tim Ferrian</strong></p>
<p><strong>Director of sales and marketing, Pro-Tec Design</strong></p>
<p><strong>Minneapolis</strong></p>
<p>I believe we are going to see clients make a step up in video resolution this year. Although a standard compression method (H.265) hasn’t been adopted which would significantly help offset the data increase, companies like Axis are inventing new ways to decrease bandwidth on its new series of cameras. Most of our clients use 720P as a standard interior camera resolution and 1080P or 5MP as standard exterior resolution. Instead of just taking the decreased bandwidth as a savings, I believe we will see clients invest that savings in higher resolution standards. I believe we will see 1080P become the new standard for interior cameras and 4K as the new standard for exterior cameras.</p>
<p>The other trend I see is with clients’ use of their systems. I wouldn’t call it a technology advancement, but rather a deeper use of their existing system. Clients are inquiring about how their access control or video surveillance systems can utilize data from other systems such as infant protection, asset tracking, visitor management or patient-wandering to enhance their business operations. Maybe I’d term it technology consolidation?</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="156" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/DawnNash.jpg?itok=gwydbdnR" /><strong>Dawn Nash Pfeiffer</strong></p>
<p><strong>EVP—marketing, SDI</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chicago</strong></p>
<p>With the ever-increasing tsunami of digital video data being collected by our industries of focus, integrators need to pay attention to the application of enterprise video content management (EVCM) platforms. EVCM systems are not device- or network-focused, they are instead oriented to taking video data from a wide range of sources that an enterprise may use for video acquisition.</p>
<p>Sources include those controlled by an organization, as well as external sources of data relevant to organizational operations. In law enforcement alone, petabytes of video are being generated daily by agencies via their fixed, in-car and now body-worn cameras. In addition, there is video and image data collected from private camera networks (stores and businesses) and cell phone images and video from the public. </p>
<p>This data needs to be reviewed, catalogued, stored and retrieved in a manner that meets evidentiary integrity standards, complies with governing regulatory requirements, and facilitates efficient police investigations and crime analyses. It also needs to work in tandem with other systems' data including 911 dispatch, records management, social media and the growing Internet of Things in the surrounding environment.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="165" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/BobStockwell.jpg?itok=7bghD4ZC" /><strong>Bob Stockwell</strong></p>
<p><strong>V.P., CTO, STANLEY Security</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chicago</strong></p>
<p>The first technology integrators should pay attention to is mass notification and situational awareness options. Clients have a growing concern around employee safety and understanding what security products are available and how they can be integrated into the existing corporate security strategy to create a safer working environment.</p>
<p>The second technology is mobile security products in general. There is a great deal of interest in security-related solutions that can be used on mobile devices, this includes access control, CCTV, personal emergency products or (PERS) devices. As our society goes mobile, so will security.</p>
<p>The final technology is the cloud-based conversion of just about every security product offering. Over the last five years we have seen a major shift to cloud-based products and services for a host of reasons, some are driven by the customers’ IT professionals while others are driven by simple economics. Whatever the case, we will continue to see more solutions offered in this configuration as the industry evolves.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="173" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/ToddFlowers.jpg?itok=pYThGeVS" /><strong>Todd Flowers</strong></p>
<p><strong>President, SSI</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rocklin, Calif.</strong></p>
<p>Wireless technology has matured in both bandwidth capacity and security while maintaining very reasonable price-points. The concept of secure gigabit wireless allows for very flexible camera placement in both indoor and outdoor environments. Additionally, combining wireless cameras alongside traditional /wired cameras can provide redundancy not just in placement, but also with multiple bridged networks. Furthermore, while special knowledge is required to analyze the wireless space, labor and material costs related to cabling burdens can be substantially reduced, therefore yielding an overall cost benefit.</p>
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<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="156" width="125" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/TonyVarco.jpg?itok=jhfyzN8i" /><strong>Tony Varco</strong></p>
<p><strong>VP Security Division, Convergint Technologies</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chicago</strong></p>
<p>One of the top technology trends in 2016 involves the emergence of network diagnostic software tools that translates real-time information (big data) of physical security devices into actionable intelligence. These solutions generate proactive alerts on the health of network devices, identify trends to justify system upgrades, and provide detailed reports designed for executives to make informed decisions. As it relates to servicing and maintaining physical security systems, a more proactive and data-driven approach is required. Network diagnostic tools provide the empirical data needed to make timely, informed and cost-effective decisions.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Ten top integrators talk tech" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:25:11 +0000Spencer Ives18812 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ten-top-integrators-talk-tech#commentsThe security industry gives backhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/security-industry-gives-back
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<div class="field-item even">Twenty-three percent of companies reward employees for volunteering</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2015-09-16T00:00:00-04:00">09/16/2015</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Spencer Ives</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>YARMOUTH, Maine—Systems integration firm SSI founded Allegiant Giving to aid veterans and residential security company Alliance Security donates systems to domestic abuse victims. SSI and Alliance are not alone in their charitable efforts—<em>Security Systems News</em>’ latest News Poll shows 89 percent of responding companies involve themselves in charities.</p>
<p>Per Mar Security Services, as one example, has a structured model for donating. “We have an employee-funded charity program, which the company matches, dollar for dollar,” wrote Marissa Parr, Per Mar executive assistant. “There is a small committee made up of employees that reviews requests each month and determines where funds will be allocated.”</p>
<p>Of the 89 percent of security companies involved in charities, 58 percent said their corporation donates to a designated charity and 31 percent have a company-wide giving program.</p>
<p>Some companies are involved in several charities. “We are engaged in a number of programs within the community,” wrote Jim Callahan, president of Ackerman Security. He cited the company’s involvement with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, WSB Care-A-Thon, American Heart Association/GO RED for WOMEN, and Habitat for Humanity.</p>
<p>“We have been involved in over 20 home builds in the last seven years [with Habitat for Humanity],” said Callahan.</p>
<p>Guardian Protection Services supports three charitable organizations: NHS/Allegheny Valley School since 1997, Jubilee Association food bank since 2006 and Variety, the Children's Charity since 2008, said Mary Lynn Moriarity, communications manager for Guardian. “The support of these three organizations engages our employees and incorporates gift-giving, food donation and fund-raising.”</p>
<p>Atlanta-based LOUD Security Systems “is heavily involved in our community and local charities. The company and employees support both financially and through volunteerism. The largest one organization is the YWCA Women's Battered Shelter,” said John Loud, company president.</p>
<p>Sixty-five percent said that charitable giving encourages employees’ company pride.</p>
<p>Giving back brings more customers to security companies, according to 14 percent of respondents.</p>
<p>Twenty-one percent said that volunteering or donations don’t impact their company.</p>
<p>AvantGuard focuses its efforts on giving back to employees. “We created our own 501(c)3 charitable organization called AG Cares Foundation. We provide assistance to our own team members and their families through our charitable foundation,” wrote Josh Garner, CEO at AvantGuard Monitoring Centers.</p>
<p>“In addition, every year we host and sponsor a charitable 5k race in each of the two communities where we have offices. Through the race we raise money for a child who is battling a chronic illness in that community,” Garner said.</p>
<p>When choosing foundations, some respondents said their company looks to causes close to their employees. “There are so many requests from charities and it keeps growing. We try to support the important charity causes of our employees,” said one reader.</p>
<p>Seventy-three percent of respondents said that employees give or volunteer on their own time. “We are just beginning to associate ourselves with a non-profit organization. Most volunteer work is individual based on their own time,” said one respondent.</p>
<p>Across all of these efforts, only 4 percent said that volunteering is required at their company. Twenty-three percent responded that employees receive benefits for volunteering, such as additional time off.</p>
<p>“We provide several opportunities to our employees to participate in charitable community functions during and after normal work hours. We have incorporated this into our Wellness Team, which also has a small financial reward for meeting quarterly wellness goals for body, community and mind,” said Greg Walborn, senior applications specialist at Berkshire Systems Group.</p>
<p>Jason Brinton, owner of Brinton Electric Security Services, said his company donates to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital and employees are also involved in other charities.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="The security industry gives back" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 16 Sep 2015 18:32:38 +0000Spencer Ives18563 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/security-industry-gives-back#commentsSSI eyes $25m in revenuehttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ssi-eyes-25m-revenue
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<div class="field-item even"> Integrator’s goal is to be largest gaming integrator</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2015-08-12T00:00:00-04:00">08/12/2015</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Martha Entwistle</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>ROCKLIN, Calif.—Systems integrator Surveillance Systems Inc. is exceeding revenue goals it set three years ago, now SSI president Todd Flowers says his focus is “to become the largest gaming integrator in the country.”</p>
<p>In 2012 Flowers told SSN <a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/integrator-opens-two-offices-looks-open-third-grow-revenue-5m-year">he expected to hit $21 million in revenue by 2017.</a> However, Flowers expects to surpass that goal this year.</p>
<p>“SSI has had phenomenal growth, and we’re on track to hit $25 million this year,” he said.</p>
<p>SSI, which moved into a new 18,000-square-foot building this year, also created Allegiant Giving, a non-profit group that raises awareness and funds for disabled veterans. <a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/integrator-ssi-s-non-profit-gives-freedom-veterans">Click here to see story.</a></p>
<p>In 2012, SSI was primarily a West Coast business, but today it is national, with offices in New York and Chicago. This year it won contracts with Yellow Brick Road Casino in New York, Gulfstream Park in Florida, Viejas Casino in California, and three resorts owned by Nevada-based Affinity Gaming.</p>
<p>The company has added eight new salespeople to its staff in 2015.</p>
<p>Flowers believes SSI’s customer service and delivery model are unique. “I believe we are the only gaming company that has inside- and outside sales and technical support matched up by region,” he said.</p>
<p>This structure enables SSI to resolve problems and deliver product quickly, he said.</p>
<p>“We see ourselves as an extension of the [casino] surveillance personnel. We want to make life easier for them—to provide the best possible customer experience,” Flowers said. </p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="SSI eyes $25m in revenue" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 12 Aug 2015 21:22:01 +0000SSN Editor18501 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ssi-eyes-25m-revenue#commentsIntegrator SSI’s non-profit gives ‘freedom’ to veteranshttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/integrator-ssi-s-non-profit-gives-freedom-veterans
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<div class="field-item even">Fast-growing integrator creates Allegiant Giving to support disabled veterans, ActionTrac chairs are key project</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2015-08-12T00:00:00-04:00">08/12/2015</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Martha Entwistle</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>ROCKLIN, Calif.—His integration firm hit a major financial milestone and moved into a new 18,000-square-foot headquarters this year, but Surveillance Systems Inc. president Todd Flowers would rather talk about his non-profit organization, Allegiant Giving, which supports disabled veterans.</p>
<p>“SSI has had phenomenal growth and we’re on track to hit $25 million this year, but as we experience this growth I don’t want to lose sight of SSI’s culture of giving back,” Flowers told <em>Security Systems News</em>.</p>
<p>Flowers and his brother-in-law/business partner, Mark Haney, founded Allegiant Giving four years ago. Allegiant raises awareness about the plight of disabled veterans and funds for projects, notably ActionTrac chairs.</p>
<p>These “super-customized” wheelchairs are made for the outdoors. They can handle mountain roads, campgrounds, woods, beaches, hiking trails, frozen lakes and shallow streams, as well as muddy and snowy terrain.</p>
<p>Flowers and Haney both have family who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and know other veterans from the community. They have an understanding of the emotional and physical toll that war takes on young veterans.</p>
<p>“These are kids we coached in football. It’s mind blowing, one day they’re skateboarding and then they come back [from serving in the war] and they’ve lost a leg or an arm,” Flowers said.</p>
<p>The ActionTrac chairs are customized and cost about $15,000. A standard wheelchair cannot be used to get to the field to feed the horses, to go in the woods to hunt, or travel down a snowy road with kids. The ActionTrac chairs give the veterans “freedom” to do these things, Flowers said.</p>
<p>“The guys that get them say the chairs change their lives, and [in some cases] it probably saves them,” Flowers said.</p>
<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="212" width="300" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/large/public/VetFamily_0.jpg?itok=jJQNuxR4" />The photo on left is of Lance Cpl. Thomas Parker with his wife and two daughters. Parker served in Afghanistan and lost his legs when he stepped on an IED while returning to camp. In a letter Parker said: "The chair has given me the freedom to do whatever I choose. Literally I am able to take it everywhere—in the yard or off the beaten path. It has allowed me to be the dad I want to be to my daughters."</p>
<p>Allegiant Giving is closely tied to SSI and to other businesses in the community. SSI moved into a newly redesigned headquarters here, but Allegiant is figuratively and literally at the center of the new headquarters, with an office located in the new headquarters.</p>
<p>“We took an existing building, gutted it and put in $100,000 to build it out and create a physical location for SSI and also for Allegiant Giving,” Flowers said.</p>
<p>Flowers and Haney own a real estate company, a concrete construction business as well as others. In addition to SSI and Allegiant Giving, five other businesses are in the new building. Flowers is in the process of building out another suite to create “an incubator for veteran-owned startups.”</p>
<p>“We have a centralized business office and other back office operations they need here,” he said.</p>
<p>An ActionTrac chair is prominently displayed in the foyer.</p>
<p>A network of 20 businesses are part of the Allegiant Giving Network. The businesses all support Allegiant Giving and each other, when possible.</p>
<p>The building has open common area that it allows the community to use. It’s good for the community, for the network of businesses, and it’s good for spreading the word about Allegiant, Flowers said.</p>
<p>“Once they’re in the building they see the Allegiant Giving message and list of Allegiant Giving Network businesses,” Flowers said. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ssi-eyes-25m-revenue" target="_blank">Click here to read about SSI's revenue growth and goals.</a></p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Integrator SSI’s non-profit gives ‘freedom’ to veterans" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 12 Aug 2015 18:24:30 +0000Spencer Ives18498 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/integrator-ssi-s-non-profit-gives-freedom-veterans#commentsAvigilon says PTZ will take company to new placeshttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/avigilon-says-ptz-will-take-company-new-places
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<div class="field-item even">New cams target gaming, large retail, petrochem verticals, including major New Mexico casino</div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Martha Entwistle</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>VANCOUVER, British Columbia—Avigilon executives expect the release, announced today, of the company's new PTZ camera to propel the video surveillance provider further into gaming and other major vertical markets.</p>
<p>Last week, Avigilon announced its first major casino project win, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, N.M. Keith Marett, Avigilon VP of marketing and communications, told <em>Security Systems News</em> that the Hard Rock will likely be one of the first locations where the new PTZ cameras are deployed. He expects it to be a marquee example of how megapixel video can be used in the gaming vertical.</p>
<p>Known for its multiple-megapixel, high-definition products, Avigilon launched its H3 platform—which includes new 3- and 5-megapixel cameras—at ISC West.</p>
<p>The key difference with its new H3 platform is an enhanced H.264 compression technology as part its HDSM (high definition stream management). The H3 products have lower storage requirements and use “four times less bandwidth [than previous H.264 products] but have the high definition we’re known for,” Marett said.</p>
<p>The new H3 platform technology means Avigilon’s new PTZ cameras don’t have the latency problems generally associated with IP- and megapixel-PTZ cameras, Marett said.</p>
<p>“HDSM and the new H3 platform support the PTZ product and will enable the megapixel PTZ to be used for what it’s supposed to be used for—following and tracking at high speed without worrying about latency and precise positioning,” Marett said.</p>
<p>To ensure the image quality, the PTZ camera has a custom-made dome. With the moving lens of a PTZ, “if it’s not at the perfect distance from the dome, it can throw the image quality off,” Marett explained. The custom dome “adds to the perfect picture,” he said.</p>
<p>Marett said the PTZ cameras are ideal for surveillance in open areas such as airports, petrochemical facilities, cities and large retail sites.</p>
<p>The integrator on the Hard Rock project is SSI of Las Vegas. At this point, Avigilon’s new PTZ cameras are not included in the job, but Marett said SSI wants to use PTZ and “we expect they’ll be one of our very first customers.”</p>
<p>The project includes restaurants, retail and parking facilities in addition to the 100,000-square-foot casino. “They have a broad range of needs; it’s not the typical amount of surveillance,” Marett said.</p>
<p>He said the majority of casinos (80 percent) are not using megapixel cameras. “They’re scared of the unknown. They think if they move to megapixel, the bandwidth consumption will be incredible,” he said.</p>
<p>Marett expects this job to be a marquee project and the first of many casino wins. “It will be a solid megapixel deployment, and it’ll help us get our name out there and show how we handle bandwidth. ... it’s a great story for us and we think it will allay fears.”</p>
<p>The project, which is already under way, involves more than 200 new cameras, 250 analog video encoders for cameras that will be upgraded in the future, multiple workstations and servers providing up to 30 days of storage, and Avigilon’s VMS.</p>
<p>Todd Flowers, CEO of SSI, said his company has been working with Avigilon for a couple years. He said the Hard Rock project will be “a good testbed for Avigilon in a real gaming environment.” As opposed to other projects which have used “a couple hundred channels, this project will have more than 1,000 channels. This is Avigilon’s opportunity to shine, and we’re betting that’s going to happen,” Flowers said. </p>
<p>The new surveillance system will result in a 70 percent savings in power consumption for Hard Rock by reducing the number of cameras, as well as fewer and higher-capacity servers. “The old recording system consumed a tremendous amount of power and created a lot of heat,” Marett said. Air conditioning costs will also be reduced.</p>
<p>“[It will save] thousands and thousands of dollars per year,” Marett said.</p>
<p>The energy savings in a job like this will help integrators win more jobs, Marett said. The integrators can speak to the security experts about image quality, and speak to the CFO about costs savings, he said.</p>
<p>Avigilon lists the other features of its PTZ camera, which will be available in August, as: “20-times optical zoom and up to 12-times digital zoom; cameras work in -50 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit; PoE plus power; 360-degree rotation up to 450 degrees per second; smooth operation and captures fluid motion with 30 fps; ONVIF compliant with Avigilon Control Center and other VMS solutions; 3D privacy mask; low-light performance; LPR from 900 feet away; external microphone and speaker support for two-way audio; external I/O interface; three-year limited warranty.” </p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Avigilon says PTZ will take company to new places" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Tue, 08 May 2012 14:01:11 +0000SSN Editor15386 at http://www.securitysystemsnews.comhttp://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/avigilon-says-ptz-will-take-company-new-places#comments